Are E-cigarettes Included in the Public Housing Smoking Ban?

It is thought that e-cigarettes will still be allowed in the majority of public housing communities, however, it will probably be banned in places where legislation restricts the use of e-cigarettes in line with combustible cigarettes.

In the state of New York, for example, the Smoke-Free Air Act prohibits the use of e-cigarettes in places where smoking is also banned. This includes bars, restaurants, offices, parks and, from the end of this month, public housing.

HUD data reveals that one-third of public housing residents identify themselves as cigarette smokers. This is approximately double the rate of smoking in the general population.

They also found that public housing smokers were more likely than non-smokers to miss work, visit the emergency room and suffer from conditions such as lung disease, asthma, physical disabilities and serious psychological distress.

Switch to e-cigarettes

Now is the prefect time for public housing residents to make the switch to e-cigarettes because from the end of this month, lit cigarettes, cigars and pipes will need to be kept at least 25 feet away from buildings.

E-cigarettes have a number of other advantages over regular combustible cigarettes.

Research reveals that e-cigarettes do contain some of the harmful toxins found in regular cigarettes, but at much lower levels. A report from Public Health England found that based on current evidence, e-cigarettes are 95% safer than regular tobacco cigarettes.